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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Borderline personality organization and dissociation
Carsten Spitzer1, Sven Barnow, Jan Armbruster
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald/Stralsund, Germany. spitzer@uni-greifswald.de
Abstract:
The relationship between Kernberg's psychodynamic model of personality organization (PO) and dissociation has not yet been explored. Seventy-two nonclinical subjects and 222 psychiatric patients completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Inventory of Personality Organization. Its Reality Testing subscale emerged as the most important predictor for all facets of dissociation. Discussing our results in the framework of Fonagy and coworkers' model of mentalization, we suggest that dissociation may reflect the preoedipal "pretend" mode of psychic functioning while impaired reality testing and psychotic experiences might be indicative of the "psychic equivalent" mode.
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